His Weakness
by Zombiifissh
Summary: Inspired by a dream. Zoro's temper gets way out of hand one day, and as he battles with his guilt, Sanji battles with fear. Rated M for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, guys! Here's another juicy yaoi for you! The story for how this one came about is odd. I was camping with my friends, and this ENTIRE thing came to me in a dream, all except for the end. You WILL be able to tell where the dream ending stops and my ending starts, because I didn't like the ending the dream gave me. Anywho, on to the nummyness! XD **

**Disclaimer: I. DO. NOT. OWN. ANYTHING. 'Cuz I'm poor. XD**

It's been three months since I've had any kind of sex to speak of…

Roronoa Zoro was on the deck of the Merry Go, trying to figure out something to do about his…sexual… problem. The ship was docked at a small port town surrounded by a large forest.

_Nami won't be here until later today… Usopp is out of the question, Chopper's not even human, and Luffy?_ The image ran through his mind. He shivered_. Hell. No. So that leaves…_ Zoro smirked. _Good. He owes me money anyway._

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Sanji was sitting at a small picnic table somebody had left in a clearing in the woods close to town for their personal campsite. It was empty now, so Sanji had commandeered it for his own use. He was contemplating what he should make out of the giant fish that Zoro had lent him money for. He said he'd pay Zoro back, but he only had about half of the money he needed.

Hmm… maybe if I make a stew? Fish stew… Sounds good. I'll need more vegetables though…

Zoro stepped into the clearing. Sanji had his back turned, lost in his own thoughts, so he didn't even notice Zoro until the man stepped on a twig, snapping it loudly. Sanji turned around.

"Zoro? What—"

"I'm here for the money," Zoro said bluntly. Even though Zoro knew full well that Sanji couldn't have enough money to pay him back yet, he played up the excuse to be near him. He rather liked being near the tall blonde, even if his attitude did piss him off sometimes. That just added to the joy of being with him.

"I don't have it yet. I'm trying to relax, Zoro. Maybe you should too," Sanji said irritably. He liked the swordsman a lot, but he never could quell that childish temper he had. He especially did not like to be disturbed while thinking about food. He turned back around.

In an instant, Zoro had Sanji's wrists pinned above his head. He yanked the back of Sanji's hair forward and away from him, pinning his head down to the table as well. Sanji growled at the suddenness of the pain in the back of his head. Zoro sat on his knees on the table behind Sanji. "I'm going to get the money one way or another," Zoro murmured in Sanji's ear. He leaned over so that his bangs brushed the back of Sanji's neck. Sanji shivered.

"What the hell are you—" Before he could say any more, Zoro took his hand away from Sanji's head and elbowed him right under the base of his neck. Sanji was unconscious instantly.

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Sanji awoke groggily and in pain. His head hurt, but not so much as to muddle his thoughts. He was lying on his stomach, so he sat up to rub his head. Or at least he tried to.

As soon as he got to his knees, he could go no further. His wrists were shackled together to a nearby tree by a thick, heavy rope. He could not move his feet any further either, as his ankles were both tied to other trees. The ropes dug into his skin painfully.

"You've been out for a while. I was starting to think maybe I'd hit you too hard." Sanji turned to see Zoro sitting at the picnic table watching him intensely. He was confused until he remembered what had happened. Sanji's face darkened.

"What the hell was that for, ya crap-swordsman!?" Sanji shouted. Zoro's face twitched in anger.

"Didn't I tell you I was going to get that money?" Zoro said mockingly.

"And I told you I didn't have it!"

"Hmm. Yes, but I want my pay. And if I don't get it in money, I'll get it in… other ways." Zoro leered disturbingly. Sanji's face paled a bit. Zoro stood and drew one of the three swords at his hip. He slid the sword under Sanji's jacket and tore it completely off of him. He nonchalantly poked around in the jacket with his foot. "I guess it's not in there," Zoro said, sighing. "Guess I'll have to search some more." Zoro continued to lazily strip Sanji with his sword, ignoring Sanji's shouts of protest. Eventually Sanji was in nothing but his boxers.

"I guess you really don't have the money, Sanji." Zoro sighed and shrugged. "Oh well. It'll have to come down to this." Zoro made one final movement with his sword, and Sanji was left completely naked on the ground. He heard the noise of a zipper. His eyes narrowed in fear.

"Zoro, stay away from me! Zor—AIGH!" A sharp pain exploded in Sanji's backside. He sucked his breath through his teeth to keep from crying out more.

"Are you serious, Sanji? I'm not even halfway in yet," Zoro said with malice. "And if you decide to rat me out, just remember: I can always do worse." Another push. Sanji let out a loud groan of pain. He writhed and tried to get as far away from Zoro—from that pain—as possible. It was no use. Zoro grabbed Sanji's shoulders and pulled him in all the way.

"AAAAAAGHHHHH!!"

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Nami turned from the shop she was about to enter. What was that sound? Was that Sanji? She wondered. She hadn't really bought anything (she never did), and turned to Chopper, Usopp, and Luffy.

"Did you guys hear that?" she asked.

"Yeah, I did," Chopper replied. "It sounded like Sanji. Should we check it out?"

"I've got a bad feeling about it… Let's go see if he's okay," Luffy put in.

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**So it goes… this dream made me very sad… TT …R&R please, while I go and sit in the corner of woe…**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Chappa Too is up!! … just read… I don't think I have the heart to explain myself…**

Zoro was rhythmic with his thrusts now. Sanji's entire body was quivering with pain, and his breathing was ragged. He gave a high-pitched whimper of pain whenever Zoro pushed into him. Sanji's thoughts became almost non-existent. He heard a groan from Zoro that almost made him throw up, and felt a hot liquid seeping down his thighs. The pain's intensity dropped drastically, but did not fade. Sanji's body dropped to the ground, limp with exhaustion. His breathing did not improve.

"Heh. Well, I guess I'll accept that as half of your payment, Sanji." He reached into Sanji's left boot and pulled out all the money that was there. "Hide your money in a safer place next time, Sanji. I heard it rattling when I took off your boots." Zoro stood up and stared at Sanji. After a minute, he said, "That went well. I think I'll go back and take a nap." And with that, Zoro walked off in the direction of the ship.

Zoro walked through the trees, his pace quickening gradually. He tried hard not to think about what he'd just done to Sanji. Yes, the two of them were usually butting heads over something or other, but neither had ever REALLY tried to hurt the other, and now… Guilt racked his thoughts, and embarrassment at having lost control of himself like that. The fact was, Zoro had a weakness, and hated to admit it, even to himself…

Sanji just stared. Why would Zoro do this? He'd thought that Zoro had enjoyed being with him, maybe even treasured him? But that now seemed conceited and impossible, even though Zoro had seemed to respond whenever Sanji subtly flirted with him. He wandered through thoughts of his now questionable affection for Zoro. Eventually, he lost coherency and the ability to think. The last thing he heard was someone shouting his name.

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Luffy and the rest of the crew crashed through the trees calling for Sanji. Nami was the first to spot the clearing. Her heart froze when she saw Sanji on the ground.

"Oh god… Luffy! Guys! I found him!" Nami pointed at the horrible sight. "Oh god, Sanji…!"

The four raced toward the place where Nami had pointed, and stopped short when they saw the condition of Sanji's body. He was quivering, gasping for air, and naked. What used to be his clothes was scattered around him in tatters and rags. Nami bent to touch his forehead. It was hot and slicked with sweat. His eyes were open, but they were glazed and unfocused, and his expression looked pained and hopeless.

"God… Sanji? Can you hear me? Sanji!" Nami called to him, but to no avail. "Chopper!" she called desperately. He was already by her side.

"We need to get him back to the ship," Chopper said with all the authority of a doctor. "Somebody cover him up. He's burning with fever."

Each member of the crew gave an article of clothing to help Chopper cover Sanji. "We've got to carry him back. Luffy, Usopp, Nami, grab a limb. And don't forget to support his body!" Chopper commanded He untied the ropes quickly and dexterously that bound Sanji's wrists and ankles and everyone did as they were told.

They carried Sanji that way straight through the forest to the Merry Go. They climbed aboard with some difficulty, and saw Zoro napping against the wall.

"It's times like these when I wish I could beat him to a bloody pulp!" Nami exclaimed in her worry for Sanji, indicating Zoro. They passed the sleeping swordsman, however, and brought Sanji to his room.

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	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Chapter three. It's not that bad, I think…**

Nami sat outside the door to the room she shared with Zoro and Sanji. It had been about three hours by her guessing, and it was starting to get dark. The rest of the crew (excluding Zoro, he was still asleep) were hovering about nervously. The door opened, and the three gathered around Chopper anxiously. They looked at him with apprehension.

"Sanji's going to be okay. His fever's dropped, and he's sleeping now. Everything's returned to normal, but leave him alone and let him sleep. He'll wake up in the morning."

"Fever? What fever?" Zoro had woken up and had heard Chopper's diagnosis.

"If you weren't sleeping all the time, maybe you would have found out earlier!" Nami snapped. Usopp took it upon himself to tell Zoro what had happened. Zoro looked shocked.

_A fever?? I hurt him that badly? _

"B-but he'll be fine, right?" Zoro stammered.

"As long as he sleeps tonight," Chopper restated. "We'd better get to bed, or we won't have enough stamina to sail tomorrow." The rest agreed silently. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper walked across the deck to their room, and Zoro followed Nami into the closer room.

Nami walked to the bunk bed bolted to the wall that she shared with Sanji. He looked fine now, peacefully sleeping like that. She climbed to the top of the bed and fell asleep from relief. Zoro, however, did not. He walked slowly to Sanji and knelt beside his bed.

_Sanji… I'm sorry…_ He extended his arm to touch Sanji's face, then thought better of it.

Zoro stood and crossed the room to his own bed. He unbuckled his swords and lay them down beside him as he kicked off his boots and got into his hammock. He couldn't get to sleep for a long time.

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The next morning, Zoro awoke to find the room empty except for him. He walked out of the room after he had put his swords and boots back on, and found the crew to be in a very concerned mood. He became apprehensive as he approached Nami.

"What's with all the silence around here?" he asked. "Even Luffy's being quiet. Has something happened?" Nami looked up at him.

"There's still something wrong with Sanji," she said listlessly. "Chopper can't figure out what it is—he thinks it's emotional, and Sanji's not saying a word. He's been holed up in the kitchen all day. He's not talking to anybody," she added, when Zoro started heading for the kitchen.

"Oh, he'll talk to me," Zoro said, but Nami caught his arm.

"I think you should leave him alone for now," she said, frowning. Zoro looked down, but then privately agreed. He sat down.

"Either way, it's almost lunch time, and Sanji never misses a meal. Luffy wouldn't let him." Zoro said gruffly. He shrugged and stared out over the ocean.

Just as Zoro had said, the kitchen door opened soon after his conversation with Nami. Sanji emerged form the steam of the kitchen holding a large tray with plates of food on it. The crew gathered around a small table in the room nearest to the kitchen.

Sanji silently passed out the plates to everyone, but he hesitated when he reached out to Zoro. His shoulders shook just slightly, and his hand quivered so badly that Zoro had to reach out and take the plate himself. Everyone else, by this point, was too occupied with eating that they didn't notice Sanji's shaking or the quick expression of fear that had crossed his face when he looked at Zoro. He sighed and began to eat his own food. His face darkened when he took a bite. The others had odd expressions of their faces as well. Zoro was the first to say it.

"Your cooking is off today, Sanji." A shiver ran down Sanji's spine, apparently unnoticed.

"Ah… Yeah. S-sorry…" Sanji tripped over the words. Nami noticed that he gripped the table very hard as he said this.

"Well, _I_ think it's fine," Nami contested. Sanji was silent, but seemed to relax a little.

"No, no, Zoro's right. It IS off. A lot. Huh? Yeah, right? I can tell!" Luffy added stupidly.

"Just eat it, you ungrateful, insensitive bastards!" Nami shouted. She looked across the table at Sanji, but he was looking down at his plate and was concentrating on eating.

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**Honestly, poor Sanji… --; DON'T KILL ME PLEASE!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This one's a bit short, but no worries, you won't mind once you read it…**

A few days passed, but Sanji still was not willing to talk to anyone for more than a few syllables. He had taken to sulking in a corner of the deck and staring off into the sky. He hadn't smoked once since that day in the woods. Nami approached him.

"Sanji? Can I talk to you?" A barely audible grunt was his reply. "It's just that, for a couple of days now you haven't been talking, you haven't been smoking, and you haven't even flirted with me once! I need to know what happened that day. Would… would you tell me?" Sanji shifted and turned his head away to the right. Nami sighed and started to get up when he reached out and touched her hand. She stopped and looked at him.

"I… I can't tell you. I'm…sorry…Nami," he said quietly in a hoarse voice. He shot a quick glance at Zoro, who was sitting on the opposite side of the deck with a half-empty beer mug in his hand. His breathing quickened just a little. "I ca- I can't t-tell you! You have t-to understand!" he said in a frantic whisper. He had begun to shake, and was gripping Nami's hand tightly. She saw desperation in his eyes.

"Sanji..?" Nami began, when Zoro looked at the pair, at Sanji with fear on his face, and at Nami with a look of almost understanding on hers. Sanji noticed Zoro looking, and he began to shake harder than ever. His face paled and his eyes widened as he tossed Nami's hand out of his and almost ran to the kitchen. He slammed the door behind him and locked it. He slid down the door to rest on the floor as he bit his lip to keep from sobbing out of fear. He'd _thought_ that Zoro and he had been friends, even if they frequently argued. The arguments had never been that bad, in Sanji's eyes; he'd always thought of them as heated friendly competitions. He'd never even considered that Zoro hated him or wanted to hurt him, in fact, he'd assumed that they were very close, by the way that Zoro treated him when they weren't yelling at each other. He became lost in his thoughts. A long while passed before he felt that it was safe to come out.

It was dark outside, and it sounded like everyone had gone to sleep. Sanji sighed out of relief. He walked to his room and opened the door as quietly as he could. There was no movement inside. He turned to close the door, and stripped down to his boxers to climb into bed. He was so exhausted and relieved that he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. It wasn't long, however, until images of Zoro haunted his dreams. His tossing and groaning woke Nami, and it wasn't long before she was trying to wake Sanji up from his nightmare.

She climbed down from her bunk and looked at Sanji. He was curled up into a little ball, panting, shaking, and in a cold sweat. He was hugging his chest and babbling in his sleep. Nami shook him and muttered his name. She was unclear as to what he was saying, except for a few words here and there. One word caught her interest.

"Z-Zoro…"

Nami's eyes widened. Her efforts to awaken Sanji doubled, if not in volume. He awakened with a start, and when he saw a shape over him, gasped loudly and instinctively grabbed a corner of the bedpost to anchor himself. The blanket fell away from his neckline, exposing his heaving pale torso.

"Sanji, it's me, Nami," she whispered to him. "Calm down." He let out a long breath and slumped against the headboard, gasping.

"Nami..? What—?"

"You were having a nightmare, Sanji." She put her hand on his shoulder. "You…you mentioned Zoro." Sanji shook his head and looked away wide-eyed. "I think I understand. Did… did he do something to you?" Sanji was silent, but through the gloom, Nami could make out his head nodding hesitantly. "What was it?" she asked gently.

"Ah, he… ah…" Sanji couldn't finish. A light went on behind the two suddenly. Nami twisted around to see Zoro looming over them. Sanji's breath caught audibly.

"He what, Sanji?" Zoro's voice was full of rage. Nami stood between them with her arms spread.

"You leave him alone, Zoro!" she threatened. He bared his teeth and backhanded Nami across the room. She lay there, stunned. He turned to Sanji.

Sanji's hand went to the bedpost again, but Zoro was too strong for him. He grabbed Sanji's wrist and threw him into a corner. Sanji cowered, trembling.

"Didn't I tell you, Sanji, that I could do worse?" Zoro growled. He unwrapped his bandanna from around his left arm and tied it around his head, shadowing his eyes. Sanji tried to slide away from Zoro, but he backed into the wall.

"I-I didn't t-tell her anything!" he pleaded. "Sh-She guessed it—I-I didn't—I didn't! She doesn't even kn-know! Don't hurt me!"

He was cornered. Zoro unsheathed one of his three swords, and raised the sheath over his head. He brought it down on Sanji's back with enough strength to make the air whistle, leaving a long, red welt. Sanji covered his head with his left arm, and bit down on his right hand to keep from yelling. Zoro repeatedly struck him, over and over, talking to him in rhythm to his beatings to maximize the overall effect.

"Now _didn't_ I _tell_ you _specifically_ not to tell anyone? _Didn't_ I _make_ myself _clear_ enough for you? Or _are_ you just _going_ deaf?" Zoro didn't need to shout the words as the sheath made contact with Sanji's back with a sickening THWACK to each of Zoro's stressed syllables. Sanji could hear them all, ringing in his head louder and louder to each of the new welts blossoming like flowers on his back.

Sanji panted when Zoro finally stopped. His back was a tortuous mass of welts and bruises. Zoro stepped back and grunted. He frowned, put away his sword, and walked to where Nami lay. She appeared to be out cold.

_Just don't move. Just pretend you're unconscious…_ Nami thought, afraid. _Pretend you've forgotten what you saw in the morning. He won't hurt you then. Damn him! He could kill us all whenever it suits him! Just stay low for now…_ Zoro picked her up and put her back in her own bed. He left Sanji alone to hurt and whimper as he went back to bed. Sanji looked at his hand. It was bleeding.

_I'm sorry, Sanji,_ Zoro thought. _I just can't have you letting out the fact that I was weak and couldn't control myself… But I wish you wouldn't make those noises_—Sanji was still audibly fighting back tears—_it pulls at my heart when you do._

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**Seriously, I want to kick my own ass for this. BUT IT'S NOT MY FAULT I DREAMT THIS!!! –sobs-**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: …sigh… YOU'RE ALL GONNA HATE ME… ;;**

Sanji woke up the next morning shivering. He had fallen asleep on the floor of his room in only his boxers, and it got cold on the ship at night. He sat up, then fell back with a grimace. He remembered the events of the night before with agony, but he knew if he didn't get moving now, he wouldn't have the will to move all day. He sat up again, ignoring the pain as best as he could, and dressed, wincing every time the fabric of his shirt brushed against his tender welts. He didn't tuck his shirt in for this reason. The room was empty; he supposed he'd slept in again. He gritted his teeth and walked out onto the deck. Luffy was in his face at once.

"Sanji! You slept in again! We're all hungry—you made us skip breakfast," Luffy anguished. Sanji nodded, then immediately regretted it; the movement shifted his shirt's position. He walked into the kitchen blankly and quickly made a spicy noodle dish for the crew. He brought it to the table in the next room and set it on the table, then walked out and whistled to tell everyone that the food was done.

Sanji began passing around plates to everyone when Luffy walked into the room holding a roll of toilet paper. "Hey, the food's done!" he yelled, throwing up his arms. Everyone immediately wanted to murder him.

"I hope you've washed your hands, Luffy," Sanji said without emotion.

"Hey, you're talking again! That's great, Sanji!" Luffy avoided the question. And got a boot to the face. Sanji winced again as he held Luffy's face to the floor.

"Go wash your hands, crap-captain!" Sanji let Luffy off the floor.

"All right, all right!" Luffy walked out and Sanji passed out the rest of the plates. He was just putting the last of them (his own) down on the table when Luffy walked back in. his face split into a grin. "That looks great! And smells nice, too!" Luffy clapped Sanji on the back happily. Nami cringed.

Sanji slapped his hands on the table, holding in any sounds that may hint of pain. He sat down calmly. "Of course it does. Who do you think made it?" he said, sitting between Zoro and Chopper.

Chopper had noticed Sanji's reaction to his back being touched, and also noticed that Sanji's shirt was oddly untucked. He leaned backwards a bit, then deftly peeked under the back of Sanji's shirt. Chopper gasped at the sight as Sanji wrenched away in alarm. Zoro's fork slipped and clattered to the floor. He bent to pick it up.

"Sanji! Where did those welts come from?!" Sanji's mouth was open slightly, but he was silent. "Let me treat them," Chopper said. Sanji grinned a little.

"That'd be—" Zoro stabbed Sanji's leg from under the table. Sanji managed to keep a straight face, if his voice was a little strained. "_unnecessary. _I'm just fine. I think I'll just let it heal on it's own. Thanks anyway." He went back to his food, trying to ignore the blood flowing down his calf. Zoro straightened and wiped off his fork.

"Got it!" Zoro said, continuing to eat.

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That night, Sanji walked out onto the stern (back end) of the ship behind his room. He stared out at the ocean, wondering how long this was going to go on. He probed his memory for something he did that would make Zoro hate him this badly, something to make it up to him, and found absolutely nothing whatsoever. He sighed, frustrated, and looked down at his left leg, freshly bandaged. It didn't hurt a lot, but it bled profusely if he strained the leg.

Zoro didn't sleep that night. He'd seen Sanji walk out to the stern earlier, and was considering apologizing to him. He knew that Sanji must hate him now, and an apology probably wouldn't do any good, but all the same… He eventually tossed off his blankets and went out to meet Sanji. His bare feet were silent as he walked to him. Sanji stood there, leaning on the rail of the ship with his back to Zoro. Just like before…

"Sanji?" Sanji jumped, but was silent as he turned to face Zoro. His face was hard, but his eyes held fear. Zoro winced at his gaze. "I, um," Zoro scratched the back of his head. He had always had trouble with apologies, and the worse the wrong, the harder it was. "I…" He trailed off awkwardly.

"What?" Sanji said in a harsh, dead voice. Zoro didn't answer. "Leave me alone, then." Zoro didn't move. His will was resolute.

"No. I came to—"

"Go to hell. I don't care. I don't care anymore. Get out of here!" Sanji swallowed. Zoro had forgotten the reason he walked out there; his own temper had flared up, and now he just wanted to beat that anger out of Sanji. His eyes narrowed. He took a step forward, and Sanji put his hands in his pockets—a sure sign that he was going to fight. Zoro had left his swords in his room, so he wouldn't hurt Sanji very badly, but he did notice that Sanji was wearing his boots. He put on his bandanna again.

"Fine. I'll make you see!" he said, charging at Sanji. Sanji ducked Zoro's first punch and swung his right leg out to meet Zoro's stomach, but Zoro turned and blocked the kick with both of his forearms. He slid back a foot and charged again. This time, he led with his left hand to feign at Sanji's face. Sanji dodged the blow, but didn't see the right fist hurtling towards his own stomach. It collided with tremendous force, dropping Sanji to his knees. He hacked up a bit of blood. Zoro grabbed his throat and slammed his back into the ground. Sanji bared his teeth and emitted a low cry. "You just had to go and do that, didn't you?!" Zoro rumbled in his ear. He took off his bandanna and gagged Sanji with it. "You were just too loud last time, Sanji." Sanji struggled, but Zoro was much wider than he was, and Sanji could not move him. Zoro began taking off Sanji's clothes.

Sanji didn't trouble with the minor discomfort of the bandanna. He had much worse to contend with. Zoro leaned down and bit his collarbone _hard._ Sanji complained from the back of his throat and pushed Zoro's head away, only to make things worse for himself as Zoro's teeth scraped across the bone agonizingly. He had no idea how Zoro managed to slip out of his own clothes while still preventing Sanji from escaping, but how he did it really didn't matter at the moment, as Zoro bit at Sanji's jaw while simultaneously forcing his way into Sanji once more. Sanji's back twisted away, and he gritted his teeth as the delicate welts ran raggedly against the harsh wood of the deck. He blurted out a biting wail as Zoro ran him through, and tried to claw away at the deck, hoping to find another pressure to focus on. Zoro quickly wrapped his arms around Sanji's waist, his own nails raking across Sanji's back as he jerked Sanji's body even closer to him, earning an agonizing cry from the back of Sanji's throat. Sanji's eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell senseless to oblivion, granting him a temporary sanctuary.

Nami awoke to the clamor that was happening just on the other side of the wall by her head. She irritatedly got out of bed and walked outside to see what was going on. She heard noises coming from behind her room and walked to the edge of the wall to look. She was about to start yelling, but quickly stifled a gasp and covered her mouth instead. She ran quietly back to her room and buried herself in her bed, shaking. Her eyes were wide, staring at her pillow, but she couldn't get that image out of her mind. She remembered in spite of herself.

_Zoro stood up over a nude form lying on the ground. He was also naked, and reached for his pants. He pulled them on and put on the rest of his clothes. He took his bandanna out of the figure's mouth, and its head lolled toward Nami. She gasped involuntarily as she saw the man's face. Sanji. Sanji with _that_ look on his face. That same deadlike look that he had that day they found him in the woods. She covered her mouth as she realized what had happened that day and why Sanji refused to say anything afterwards. She ran._

Nami shook her head. Why hadn't she seen it? The clues all clicked into place now. She quickly lay down and pretended to be asleep as Zoro entered the room carrying Sanji and his clothes. Zoro laid Sanji down in his bed under Nami's, covered him up, and sat on the edge of the bed. He placed his hand on Sanji's head. Warm.

_Damn,_ Zoro thought wretchedly. _Again? Damn it! Why'd you have to do that? Why'd _I_ do that?!_ Zoro padded to the kitchen and pulled out his bandanna. He wet it down and ran back to his room. He folded it as he walked into the door and laid it on Sanji's already sweaty head with concern. Nami watched silently, confused. It was like Zoro was two different people. She waited and watched as Zoro wore himself ragged trying to stop the bleeding in Sanji's left leg. When he did, Zoro sat on the floor heavily and leaned against Sanji's bed. He groaned and fell over, exhausted and dead to the world.

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	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: This one's a shortie. Climax is coming soon!**

Zoro was the first in the room to wake up. He sat up, wondering why he was on the floor. He twisted to Sanji as he remembered and checked his forehead. He sighed with relief as soon as he was sure that Sanji's temperature had returned to normal. He walked across the room and put on his boots and swords.

It was cloudy to the west outside. There would be a storm in a few days. He guessed he was the first one to wake up, since he couldn't hear Luffy being annoying or Usopp being cowardly. He climbed the rigging of the main mast and sat on the crossbeam. He watched as the rest of the crew woke up in different time intervals and the ship became lively again.

Sanji awoke slowly. He hurt all over, especially his back and between his legs. He felt something soft on his face. He reached up and pulled a cloth off of his forehead.

_It happened again..?_ He shook his head. He looked at the cloth again. _What? This isn't one of Chopper's bandages..? Then whose is it? _He was utterly confused. Zoro walked in as Sanji sat up.

"You might want to stay in bed," Zoro said, sounding drained. Sanji frowned and tried to stand up anyway. His left leg gave way under his weight and he slipped. He fell to his knees and looked back at his leg. It was bandaged, but the job was messy, and looked like it had been done in great haste.

_These aren't my bandages..? And they're too sloppy to be Chopper's work… _ Sanji looked up. Zoro threw Sanji over his shoulder and sat him back down on his bed. Sanji cried out in pain from the physical shock of being picked up—especially around the middle.

"You should stay there." Zoro walked out of the room dispassionately. Sanji noticed that Zoro had had dark circles under his eyes. He shook his head and got dressed with difficulty. His clothes were piled in a heap by his bed.

He limped out of the room—his leg still would not support his weight—and went to the kitchen to cook breakfast. He called to the crew, but left the food in the kitchen. There was no way he could carry that tray and still be able to walk.

While the rest of the crew was eating, Sanji sat outside the kitchen and inspected the bandages on his leg. He took them off and reapplied them to be more effective. He stood up and limped to the bathroom despondently. He filled the wooden tub with water and heated it up. He climbed in after undressing and started to wash, but he couldn't scrape away that filthy feeling he had. He wanted to rip himself open and tear at his insides.

_Again. I can't stop him. He did it again. He…he…Why?!_ Sanji clenched his fists in his lap. His anger and depression surfaced all at once, and he couldn't stop the tears.

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**AANNGGSSTT!!!!!**


	7. Chapter 7A

**A/N: Yuppers! This chappie went by well… O.O;;; (SAVE ME FROM THE PLOT BUNNIES)**

The next three days for Sanji went by listlessly. He had gone back to not talking to anyone again. He could walk normally again, and his back didn't hurt anymore, but he still couldn't summon up the will to speak. A storm was moving in, but the ship had been anchored to a reef and the sails were lowered, so the ship could ride it out without being damaged by the storm. Nami had mentioned that it shouldn't be a bad storm, but at sea, all storms were bad.

That night, the storm hit. The ship rocked back and forth, but was it essentially safe in comparison, even on the deck where a person could get washed away by the waves. Zoro laid in bed, wide awake. He hadn't been sleeping well for a couple of days. Blame weighed down his thoughts as solidly as the anchor held the ship. The rain didn't help. He couldn't sleep when it rained, but going out into the rain usually calmed him down. He stood and opened the door to the outside.

The rain was beating down on the deck mercilessly. The wind howled as vicious waves attacked the sides of the ship and washed the deck with salty spray. Lightning and thunder raged over head. He stepped out of his room and stopped dead. A tall, thin silhouette was standing on the rail of the ship, holding a rope connected to the mast. A flash of lightning illuminated the face. Sanji. He let go of the rope and fell forward into the cold ocean, arms spread wide to embrace his self-destruction. Zoro's heart froze.

"Sanji!!" Zoro roared. He dashed, barefoot, to the rail. He could still see the waves Sanji had made. He grabbed the rope Sanji had been holding, and, holding it in his teeth, jumped in after him.

The frigid, unfeeling water swept Zoro away as soon as he plunged under. Eyes frantically searching in every direction for Sanji, he came back up for air. He hadn't spotted him. He desperately dove under again and swam down, looking everywhere. The water was as dark as death. Zoro's face contorted with hopelessness.

_No! I can't lose him..!_

He looked down again, and saw Sanji. His eyes grew wide and he pleaded silently that Sanji wasn't dead. He swam as fast as he could towards the sinking man. He reached out his hand and took Sanji's. Sanji was already ashen and wasn't moving. Zoro held Sanji's body close and swam for the air with renewed vigor and a passionate desire to save him.

Zoro's head burst from the water. He gulped down the air through the rope in his teeth, and pulled himself and Sanji onto the deck of the ship. Zoro put Sanji down on the deck and put his head to Sanji's chest. Nothing.

No… 

Zoro pounded his fists on Sanji's chest, trying to rid his lungs of water. Again. Zoro listened at Sanji's chest again. Still nothing. He breathed into Sanji, mind blank except to save him. Pound. Pound. Breath. Zoro shuddered and bit back tears. Pound. Pound. Breath. He couldn't keep them in. The tears began to slip out of Zoro's eyes. Pound. Pound—!


	8. Chapter 7B

**A/N: Watch out, people! Super-angst coming your way!**

Sanji stirred and coughed up a considerable amount of water. Zoro looked at him with hope and longing. Sanji twisted and coughed more, resting on his elbow next to the swordsman. He gasped for air between the hacking coughs. He stopped and looked at Zoro. His face grew angry.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Sanji shouted at Zoro. They were both so wet that Sanji couldn't see that Zoro had been crying, but he didn't need to. Zoro's face went from hope to shock to hurt so fast that Sanji regretted having said anything. Zoro's shoulders sagged and he let his head fall as he broke down into sobs. Sanji looked at Zoro, stunned. "What? Wh-why the hell are you crying?" Sanji asked, bewildered. Zoro couldn't stop. His shoulders shook with the effort of trying, but it was like a dam broke somewhere in his mind. "Zoro?" Without a word, Zoro pulled Sanji in close to him and wept on his shoulder.

Sanji was speechless. He pushed Zoro away so that he could see his face. It was amazing how easily he moved. Sanji shook his head, dumbfounded and wide eyed, at Zoro. He held Zoro's face. "Stop.. Stop crying. What are you crying for?" Zoro looked at him through his tears.

"I-I thought you were d-dead, Sanji. I… I love you."

Sanji recoiled. He was confused. How could a man who raped and beat him possibly love him? "You… you can't love me. You don't even know what love is! All you want me for is to control me! I'm your fucking toy!" Sanji raged. Zoro looked more betrayed than Sanji had ever seen him.

"If… If I don't love you, then why would I s-save you? I can always get another t-toy. I can't get another you." Sanji's eyes widened and his mouth opened slightly. "I was s-so afraid… that you would die of the fever… and the blood loss in your leg…" Zoro whispered. "I n-never… wanted you hurt…"

"That… was you?" Sanji asked softly, remembering the bandages. Zoro nodded. "But this doesn't make sense! Why would you do that, and then take care of me?" he yelled.

"I… I don't know. I just… I got so… so scared, and I… I thought you would hate me… but… You probably already hate me… right? I… I'm a monster," Zoro sobbed. Sanji looked at him with his eyebrows tilted up. He blushed, and a tear fell from his right eye.

"No. You can't be serious! You… you raped me! You fucking _raped_ me!" Zoro bawled harder than ever.

"I-I kn-kn-know!" His hands dropped to the deck and he let his head slump ruefully. "I get—I get so weak though… D-Damn you!" He punched the deck. "You… you're my… my weakness," he whispered at the end.

"I don't understand…" Sanji said quietly, just over the rain.

"I can't seem… to control myself around you. It… It pisses me off! It pisses me off that I seem to lose all self-control whenever I see you! I'm a swordsman, damn it! I'm supposed to have total control over every aspect of myself! I can't do that with you! I can't… control… myself…" He trailed off as he inched closer to Sanji's face and gently pressed his lips against Sanji's. Sanji stiffened and his eyes widened, expecting violence from Zoro, but he relaxed at Zoro's lightly hesitant touch. He couldn't help but to close his eyes and lean into the kiss. Zoro buried his hands slowly in Sanji's hair and pulled him closer tenderly, his eyes still streaming. Sanji slid forward of his own accord and straddled Zoro's left leg as he found himself deepening the kiss. He was confused—why was he doing this? Zoro had ravaged him, torn him to pieces, body and mind. He had corrupted him and broken him, and… loved him?

_Do I forgive him? This makes… no sense. Does this mean…I still love him? _ Sanji thought vaguely. He _was_ enjoying the soothingly peaceful contact with Zoro, though he was obscurely afraid behind the pounding in his chest. He shuddered as his fright overwhelmed him. He pushed Zoro away and skittered backwards, staring at Zoro with unmistakable apprehension. Zoro glanced downwards.

"I've ruined you," he said numbly, gazing at Sanji forlornly. "All you do now, you do out of fear. You're so afraid you can't even see," he finished, sounding more heated at the end. Sanji's fear was consumed by irritation at this. He stood quickly but shakily and took a few steps toward his room. He turned and watched Zoro get up. Their eyes met and Sanji stalked inside, Zoro following him.

The two walked inside the cabin, both shivering a bit and dripping. Zoro fished around in his bags as Sanji sat down on the floor and took off his soaked jacket. He pulled out a couple of ancient cigarettes and a lighter, lit them both, and handed one to Sanji, who took it gratefully. Neither of them said a word while they smoked. Sanji's shaking stopped quickly, and Zoro took off his shirt and sash and laid them on the floor to dry. He immediately felt better when the cold clothes came off his chest.

"You should take off _your_ shirt, Sanji. It looks like it shrunk in the water; you look basically choked," Zoro advised quietly. Sanji nodded and undid the first couple of buttons on his shirt, but didn't bother to take it off. He sat quietly and contentedly as he smoked his first glorious cigarette in a week. Zoro, however, coughed a bit. It had been a _long_ time since he'd last smoked. Sanji grinned at this.

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	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Don't ask me, guys. I was just as confused and surprised as you were at this whole turn thing… --;; Damn bunnies…**

The two had both gotten into bed. Zoro hadn't put on his shirt or sash to sleep in his hammock, and the ropes were particularly painful against his wet skin. Sanji had taken off all his clothes and laid them out on the floor to dry as well so as not to get his bed soggy. Neither of them were asleep yet, Zoro because of the ropes digging into his back, and Sanji because of the cold draft. Zoro sat up in the hammock. He hesitated before speaking.

"…Sanji? Are you awake?"

Sanji groaned and wrapped himself in his blanket as he sat up. "What is it, marimo-head?" he asked tiredly. Zoro hesitated again.

"Well… These ropes on the hammock… they kinda…" he trailed off. Whatever pain this was, it was nothing compared to what Sanji had gone through recently. Asking to share the bed was too much. "Um… Never mind." He lay back down, wincing and trying not to move. Sanji kept looking at Zoro. He sighed. Zoro looked up. "Hm?"

"Well? What did you want?" Sanji asked again. Zoro decided to ask him against his better judgment.

"Would you…" he swallowed. "Would you let me…share your bed?" he asked, preparing for harsh words. Sanji's eyes narrowed suspiciously at him. "I swear on my honor as a swordsman not to touch you," he added quickly. Sanji weighed this statement, frowning. He reluctantly moved aside to make room, warily watching Zoro get off his hammock. Sanji stopped him after a few steps. He pointed to Zoro's pants.

"Take those off. I don't want to sleep in a puddle," he said irritably. Zoro donned a look of surprise and slowly took off the rest of his clothes. "Now don't touch me," he reminded as Zoro climbed into the bed and draped the shared blanket over him.

"Um… th-thank you," Zoro said, faltering clumsily as he rolled to turn his back to Sanji. Sanji brightened up tiredly as he rolled over to turn his own back to Zoro. He felt the bed shift as the stiffness eventually eased out of Zoro and he relaxed. He looked at the already half-asleep man lying next to him, thankful of the warmth his body emitted. He carefully rolled onto his other side and watched Zoro's breathing rise and fall steadily for a while. He chewed his lower lip contemplatively as his attraction with the man welled up inside his mind. He tentatively moved closer to Zoro and rested the bridge of his nose against Zoro's neck. Zoro started and his head twisted to look at Sanji confusedly. Sanji blinked up at him owlishly and kissed his shoulder shyly.

_What am I doing..?_ he thought wildly as he continued kissing Zoro's shoulder, up his neck, and to his jaw line. He felt Zoro clench up again as he rolled to face Sanji. Sanji paused, waiting for a reaction in Zoro. When there was none, he slowly brushed his hand across Zoro's collarbone.

Zoro shivered and brought up his hands to hold Sanji's face in his hands. His eyes held an inquiring cast. Looking into Sanji's eyes, Zoro saw he had no fear, only certainty and warmth. His own eyes glazed over as he pulled Sanji to him and connected their lips without reserve. He felt Sanji's body loosen next to him and he snaked his arms down around Sanji's back.

The skin there had become quite sensitive to touch, shooting a tingling sensation through whatever area had been touched. Sanji made a little noise in the back of his throat as he shuddered and arched his back, incidentally pressing himself to Zoro. Zoro looked over Sanji's shoulder and winced when he saw Sanji's back. The marks were still there, despite the four days that had passed without further injury. He hugged Sanji to him and hoped that they wouldn't become scars. Sanji nestled into the embrace and kissed the hollow between Zoro's neck and shoulder. He returned the hug and made his way back to Zoro's mouth. Zoro let Sanji kiss him, guilt piercing his thoughts even as the caress tempted him, almost pushing him over the edge of his sanity. He snapped back to reality as Sanji coyly licked his lower lip. He watched himself as if through a dream admit Sanji's tongue and caressed it with his own as Sanji moaned softly into his mouth. He felt a pressure in his chest at this, as if his heart bled for Sanji's gratification. He became more fervent with his movements at the same rate Sanji did, and soon he found himself lying on top of Sanji once again.

Zoro paused, looking down at Sanji, both their chests working above their normal rate. Their lips met again and Zoro slid his hand down Sanji's chest to rest on his thigh, awaiting protest. To his mild surprise, Sanji kissed him harder and lightly touched his leg to Zoro's side. Zoro took this as an admission and slowly inserted his first two fingers into Sanji. He felt Sanji tense underneath and around him as he worked his way around with his fingers, probing Sanji for sensitive spots. He knew he'd found one when Sanji jumped underneath him, gasping in elation. Zoro pushed in a third finger and pressed the spot lightly. Sanji's breathing quickened and he bit his lip to keep from letting out any sound. Zoro noticed this and pressed a bit harder, applying more pressure with all three fingers. Sanji lurched and gripped the sheets as he bit out a suppressed moan. Zoro smiled at this and pulled his fingers away as Sanji softened, only to replace them seconds later with the head of his penis. Sanji's breath caught.

"Easy now, Sanji," Zoro murmured into Sanji's ear. He relaxed a little. Zoro started to slide inward again. Sanji grunted and let out a shuddering breath while clamping down on the side of Zoro's neck with his teeth. Zoro winced and sucked air through his own clenched teeth. The pressure eased on Zoro's neck and he carefully advanced when he was confident that Sanji was ready. Sanji started to moan again when Zoro hit the sensitive area, but Zoro muffled it, kissing him abruptly and filling Sanji's mouth with his tongue. Sanji's hands left the sheets and flew to the base of Zoro's head, gripping his hair with one hand and clutching Zoro's face to his own. He shuddered and arched his back as Zoro backed up and ran again to another particularly receptive spot in him, his new note of euphoria halted by the first two fingers of Zoro's left hand. "Shhh… You're going to wake up Nami," he murmured into Sanji's ear.

"W-Well, it's—nngh!—hard t-to keep quiet when you're—nneh—d-doing this," he panted back. He was a bit dazed at the unfamiliarity of the sensations he was having. Instead of feeling damaging, it was pleasant—thrilling, even—to be touched like that when it had hurt so horribly before. He supposed that Zoro was trying very hard not to injure him again, like he was going out of his way just to be gentle, for which he was grateful. Speech dissolved as they both lost themselves in the ecstasy of the moment, no longer even attempting to hold back the zealous gasps and whimpers of delight, both toppling over the edge of the limits of their bodies together. Zoro collapsed, rolling to the side so as not to crush Sanji as he too gave out and laid there, looking at Zoro and panting.

Nami stared wide-eyed, shivering in her bed, rather disturbed. _Well, it seems everything's all right at least…So…what, are they together now..?_ she thought a bit disgustedly at having witnessed that spectacle. She peeked over the edge of the bed to barely see Zoro and Sanji laying facing each other with their fingers on one hand laced around the other's, and their other hands holding the other one close. She couldn't help but smile a little.

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	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: OMG LAST CHAPTER! FINALLY!!! Ze resolution ish here.**

Zoro woke drowsily the next morning, smiling when he saw a content Sanji lying with him, their fingers locked together. He kissed Sanji lightly, watching his eyes half open blearily.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked placidly. Sanji stared at him, his mind obviously still asleep. He crooned softly and let go of Zoro to curl his arms around himself and wriggle closer to Zoro, burying his face in his chest. Zoro laughed quietly and blanketed Sanji with his arms. "_Still_ sleeping well, I see. Well, I guess I can't argue with that. I'll stay with you until you wake up." He yawned, rested his chin on Sanji's head, and fell back to sleep.

Nami sat on the railing of the Merry Go, mulling over the events that happened the night before. It seemed to her at least that Zoro and Sanji had gotten over whatever had happened between them. If that was the case, she was truly happy for them. If however, Zoro was just jerking Sanji around, she would have to have to have some words with Zoro…cautiously of course. She still remembered what Zoro was capable of. She climbed down the rigging and called the rest of the crew together. She decided they needed to know.

Zoro came out of sleep when he felt a movement against him. Sanji stirred slightly and opened his eyes slowly. His eyes traveled up Zoro's chest to meet his eyes, and he blinked up at the green-haired man.

"Awake now?" Zoro asked. "How did you sleep?" Sanji blinked again and gave Zoro a kiss as a response. Zoro smiled. "Okay then," he said when they broke the kiss.

"Hungry?" Sanji asked lightly and tiredly. Zoro made a gesture with his hands that basically said 'yes' and Sanji sat up. Zoro followed suit, sitting up as well. He smiled and grabbed Sanji's waist as Sanji tried to climb over him to stand. He pulled Sanji closer to him and kissed his chest, working his way up to his mouth. Sanji pushed him away when Zoro started to move back down again. "Stop… I have to get up… to cook breakfast…" he gasped when Zoro began sucking on a nipple. Zoro chuckled but released Sanji and stood up after him. The pair began to dress; thankfully both their clothes had dried during the night.

The two stepped outside to meet four pairs of eyes staring at them. It wouldn't have bothered either of them, but the expression held in each twin set of orbs was identical—it was _awareness_. A plunging feeling engulfed both men as they realized that the others _knew_. They both fidgeted, saying nothing except short bits of incomprehensible speech, causing the others to grin knowingly. Sanji stalked away to the right, red-faced, and stared out into the shallow reef. Zoro felt it best to follow.

Luffy grinned and sidled up to the pair. He stretched so that he was looking into both Zoro and Sanji's faces. "So," he said, as Zoro and Sanji glared at him in embarrassment, "Does this mean you two are gay?" he asked bluntly.

The couple's eyes both twitched and they simultaneously threw Luffy overboard into the shallows. He screamed before the water crashing over him drowned the sound out. Zoro and Sanji both smirked in amusement, Luffy was in no real danger, he could easily stand above the level of the water. Whether he was smart enough to was a different story. He sat there flailing in the shallow water until Nami shouted at him to stand up, Sanji and Zoro laughing at the ridiculous scene. Nami rounded on them, half amused.

"Now why would you go and do that to Luffy? I know he was being insensitive, but that was no reason to—" Her words were stopped by a scream as she too got thrown overboard and splashed into the sea. Chopper and Usopp stared at the two, dumbfounded. They couldn't believe that Sanji had just thrown Nami overboard. Looking at the bewildered two still in the middle of the deck, Zoro smiled and nudged Sanji. They glanced at each other before kissing in front of the coward and the reindeer, making said two drop their jaws at the spectacle. Luffy, being able to see it as well, also dropped his jaw, but his jaw reached the ground, and Nami had to shout at him again to keep him from drowning. Zoro and Sanji laughed through their kiss.

-----end-----


End file.
